Hold Me to You
by Took-Baggins
Summary: Sometimes, it takes a week in the infirmary to realize what's right in front of you. ChrnoxRosette
1. A Mission Gone Bad

A/N Oh boy. I wasn't going to post this until I had more of it written. I'm typing chapter three tonight, so hopefully I can keep ahead of the current chapters and avoid delays. Expect a new chapter every week or so (if I can wait that long. I get a bit excited when I write ). I've read over this a million times, but it hasn't been beta'd, so if there's something to fix, tell me please!

Also, if the quality of the story begins to deteriorate, point it out! It's been a while since I've set out to do a multi-chapter fic like this!

As always, I hope everyone enjoys this. Thanks so much for reading!

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Things were going very badly. They were up against a low-class demon, a big one with no reasonable amount of intelligence. It seemed to be nothing more than a mass of random appendages, all squashed together into a long, wormlike body. Rosette had effectively avoided it for the past half-hour, dragging her partner behind her. They were on assignment, in a run down house in the middle of Nowhere, New York. She hadn't managed to get a clear shot at it as the house's small rooms limited their movements.

They skidded around a corner, crashing into the wall as their feet slid over the wet floor. The demon had been feeding, whatever group had summoned it was now spread gruesomely about the house. Rosette swore, spinning to unleash a few Sacreds at the worm's face (at least, she hoped it was a face).

"These aren't working! What else do we have?" they took off again, cutting through a knocked-out wall into a living room. Chrno took the lead, sprinting towards a descending stairway.

"Not much...another round of Sacreds and maybe a Gospel."

"What happened to the rest of it!?"

"We got caught in that traffic jam on the way! Anyway, Rosette, we should get out!" they thundered down the stairs, hopping the last few before turning into a kitchen. It's many limbs pulling it along, the demon thundered down after them. It took a moment for the exorcist to answer. She stopped, overturning a cluttered table, hoping that a few annoying bumps in it's path would deter the thing.

"No way, out on open ground that thing would catch up to us in no time!"

"We're just trapping ourselves by staying in here." she pulled ahead of him, as they pounded through a long hall lined with large, grimy windows. "We can't stay in here. If you used Gospel in such a closed space we'd both be caught in it!"

"Crap!" he was right, he always was. Skidding to a stop, Rosette seized his arm, hurling them both through the nearest window.

"What the heck?"

"You wanted to go outside, didn't you?"

They landed in a heap of tangled weed, struggling to right themselves as the demon followed. Chrno gave a sharp cry as it crashed down on top of them. For several moments, they were caught beneath it, smothered and confused. Painfully, Rosette clawed her way out from underneath it, looking wildly around for her partner. She dodged through the flailing appendages, her eyes falling across a familiar coat sleeve waving frantically at her. Cursing, she pulled Chrno clear, dragging him away from the demon as she set off at a run.

"Couldn't you have gotten _yourself_ out of that mess? You're hopeless!"

"Sorry..." he stumbled beside her, suddenly going down. Surprised, the girl stopped, bending over the heap that was her friend.

"Come on, we need to go!" she glanced impatiently towards the other demon. It was waving what appeared to be its head, apparently trying to detect them in the pale moonlight. Annoyed, she turned back to Chrno, his pale face staring up at her. She started a little as he gasped. "What's wrong?"

"Back there, when it fell on us...the ammunition box..." she looked closer, seeing one tattered strap hanging over his shoulder. He clutched gingerly at his side. "It must have gotten me when it splintered..." he fished what was left of their ammunition out of his pocket, pushing them at her. "You should go."

"Chrno, don't start this!" Rosette pulled him to his feet, ignoring his attempts to push her away. The worm was starting to move toward them, much more quickly than it had inside the old house. She wrapped her arm around his waist, trying to support him. His coat was cold and very wet against her arm. She glanced down to see a splash of dark color on her skin. He was bleeding...

"...If you go on ahead you can probably get a couple shots at it."

"And leave you here? Not on your life." they broke into the best run they could manage. Rosette's mind was in a whirl, trying to sort out the situation. What Chrno said was true, if she left him she would be able to fight back. She was loath to do that, though, since he seemed to be in pretty bad shape. If she put him down, the worm would likely go for him. He be caught in the line of fire when she attacked. She could leave him with the car (or what was left of it), perhaps try to draw the demon away so she could take it out. They were close enough, maybe fifty yards away.

Chrno has gone quiet, his body weighing heavily on her as he tried to keep up. Worriedly, Rosette glanced over her shoulder.

The worm-like demon was nowhere to be seen.

'_Where'd it go? It can't have given up so easily...'_ she slowed, giving Chrno a chance to catch his breath. Pausing to look around again, she felt him suddenly give a violent start.

"ROSETTE!" she spun er head at his cry. Before she could register the thing rearing up before her, a blinding pain tore through her stomach, and darkness overcame her.


	2. Waking Up Again

A/N Wow, this story is getting a better response than I thought it would. I don't often write action-y things like chapter one, so I was a little unsure about posting it. I'm so happy everyone's enjoying it! Or at least adding it to their favorites.

Anyway, I am by no means knowledgeable about medical things. If it seems like I'm making them act worse than their injuries call for and it bothers anyone, let me know. A note on the seal: there was one part of the manga when Chrno apparently opened it himself (I don't mean in San Francisco, I'm talking about when Larajie/Raleigh took Azmaria from the lake). Anyway, it didn't really seem to bother Chrno (though Rosette wasn't happy) and I wondered at that.

I'm rambling. Wait, is it rambling if you're really addressing something? meh, I guess I just like to type. I should really stop. Have fun reading!

xXxXx

Chrno woke slowly, gradually becoming aware of the painful state his body was in. There wasn't an inch of him that didn't hurt. Dazed, he lay unmoving, his eyes staring up at the lightening sky. Few coherent thoughts filtered through his hazy mind, most of them confused. Why did he hurt so badly? Where had Rosette gone? Did she get that worm demon? Where was she?

Struggling to raise himself, he hissed in pain. He glanced down at himself, noting vaguely that he had done some heavy bleeding during the night, and his leg was lying at an odd angle. His clothes were badly torn as well.

"That's...when did that happen?" he glanced around, taking in his surroundings. The old abandoned house was in worse shape than it had been the night before, several gaping holes were now punched through its side. A nearby tree had been uprooted, and the ground all around them had been stirred up. Rosette lay crumpled in the dirt a little way away.

Chrno froze in horror.

Rosette lay on her face, one arm draped over the back of her head. The blue of her habit was marred by large, dark stains.

"Ro...Rosette!" he panicked, trying to climb to his feet and go to her. His leg buckled painfully beneath him and he collapsed, clutching at his wounded side. With a wince he fingered the jagged edge showing through a tear in his coat, a vague memory of his broken ammunition box coming to his mind. This mission had definitely not gone well.

Groaning, the demon began crawling toward his contractor, his movements becoming shakier as he went. A sudden weakness overtook him, but he ignored it, instead reaching out to touch her blood-stained clothes.

"Rosette?" he called softly, almost afraid to turn her over. He couldn't hear the pocketwatch...

Hesitantly he grasped her shoulder, looking away as he gently flipped her over. If she were dead...he wasn't sure he could handle seeing her like that. Not yet. Still turned away, he bent over her, cocking a pointed ear close to her chest.

_Ticktickticktickticktick..._

Chrno's head spun to face Rosette, and he nearly sobbed in relief as her eyes fluttered slightly, a flash of blue trying to focus on his face. "Wurzit..." she mumbled thickly. Chrno smoothed her bangs from her face, his eyes scanning her body for outward injuries. She had a nasty gash on her forehead, and it had bled down one side of her face. He couldn't see her middle, though that's where most of the blood seemed to be coming from.

"I don't know." he said absently, answering the question she'd been trying to get out. "It's gone, I guess. I'm surprised it didn't eat us..." Rosette mumbled again, her eyes sliding closed. "Rosette, listen to me!" gently, he took her face in his hands, focusing her attention on himself. "We need to get out of here. If that thing shows up again..." he trailed off, his mind racing. How could they get out of there? He would have gladly carried her back, as far as they were from the Order, had they not been so beaten up. Granted, he was a little better, due to the astral energy slowly seeping through the seal his contractor carried. Already his head had cleared a little and he was not shaking anymore. He could only imagine how bad off he'd been before.

His thoughts returned to the problem at hand, getting back to the convent. If he carried her, it would be hard on both of them. He was willing to risk himself, but judging from the general look of her, being moved would be hard on Rosette. Chrno looked down at her, her face cold between his palms. She was pale, a thin film of sweat beading upon her brow. He felt himself start to panic a little, and it occurred to him that he couldn't really tell the full extent of her injuries by just looking at her. Something could be very, very wrong. What if she were bleeding internally or her back was broken? He bent over her, holding her against himself, trying desperately to calm himself and just think for a moment.

The pocketwatch bumped against his chest.

Maybe...

Hesitation pulled at him, and he buried his face against her neck, reluctant to acknowledge the metal barrier between them. He could easily heal her, at least enough to ensure that she would be alright to be moved. But...how much would that take from her? A day? A week? He had no idea how it would measure out. Granted, the last time he had opened the seal, he'd healed her just a little and set up a barrier, but...he'd not had time to consider it then.

Did he really have time to now? He didn't know...and it frightened him.

"Rosette?" she didn't answer, but her shallow breath wafted through the hair at the top of his head. It was reassuring, in a way. Hesitantly, Chrno pulled away from her, letting his fingers run along the chain that hung from her neck. He carefully took the watch into both hands, peering into its face. There were years there. With a certain sense of self-loathing, he pulled at it, and the seal snapped open with a sharp click.

Astral energy flowed into him, beautifully empowering in its purity. He pushed it away, accepting just enough that he felt his legion become active as his leg began to mend itself. Putting all of his concentration into the action, he firmly planted his hands against Rosette's chest, determined to redirect that energy into her. Slowly, her body began to regenerate, the wound on her head sealing itself. She curled in on herself, clutching the wound on her stomach. He watched her worriedly, wondering how long he should let it continue. Only a moment passed before Chrno pulled away from her, a momentary surge of Astral energy washing over him before he snapped the pocketwatch closed, restoring the seal.

The energy cut off almost instantly, leaving him cold, but not as drained as he'd been. He bent over Rosette again, calling her name softly. She groaned in response. It was good enough, for the time being. Shakily, Chrno stood, testing the feel of his weight on his leg. It supported him this time, albeit painfully. Carefully, he pulled Rosette up, taking a moment to situate her draped over his back. It wasn't the easiest way to carry her, given the height difference. He winced as he moved, the added weight sending a flash of pain through his leg at each step. His side he couldn't seem to feel anymore. A blessing, perhaps, as Rosette's leg bumped it constantly as he walked.

The going became easier once he gained the road, the level ground easing the jostling of his burden. In the distance something glowed faintly through the night, a streetlight perhaps. He sighed, wincing as he hitched her a little higher on his back.

"It's been a long time since I've carried you, Rosette..." he said, as the exorcist mumbled unintelligibly. Chrno felt himself smile faintly, a little lost in his thoughts. "I think the circumstances are a little better this time around, though..." Joshua came to his mind, and that terrible night years before. He hated that it took something going wrong like this for him to get to hold her. He wouldn't dare even try otherwise. There was always something to stop him.

A chuckle escaped him as he turned to give her a reassuring smile. Her chin was propped on his shoulder. "You're going to kill me for all of this, aren't you?" it would be just like her. He could work himself to exhaustion for Rosette, and have nothing to show for it but a knot on the head. Not that he minded, of course. Once in a while she would give him a show of gratitude, telling him that she knew what he did for her and that she loved him for it. He was like a brother to Rosette. After Joshua had been taken she had clung to him, and it was that more than any contract that made them what they were. They were all that each other had, and they were inseparable.

Yet somehow, being a brother to her wasn't enough for Chrno anymore.

Rosette shifted uncomfortably against him, saying something he couldn't quite understand. Probably, it was along the lines of "You deserve it, you idiot." He looked at her again. Blearily she opened her eyes to look at him. For a moment she seemed confused. It soon passed, however, and a contented look passed over her face as she closed her eyes again.

"Chrno..." the demon frowned. It was hard to see her like that: hurting but comforted by his presence. It was hard because he felt partially responsible. If he hadn't been hurt he could have protected her...

Holding her legs a little tighter to his sides, he picked up his pace. "I'll take care of you, Rosette. Don't worry, you're going to be okay..."


	3. Infirmary

A/N Sorry for the delay, everybody. My break is turning out to be a bit busier than I thought it would be. To make up for it, this chapter is a little longer than the others. I tried getting this up last night, but for some reason it wasn't working. Anyway, here's chapter three!

xXxXx

"I can't believe this." Anna scowled, digging her nails into the leather steering wheel. "She goes and disappears and _I'm_the one they send to find her. They could have at least let me sleep another hour..." she was looking for Rosette. Father Remington was away, and Sister Kate was hesitant to leave the Order without some sort of leader present. Somehow the task had fallen to Anna.

She sighed, scanning the dark scenery around her in search of the old house Rosette had been assigned to that night. It was very dark, despite the lightening skies of pre-dawn. Anna was so absorbed in looking for the old house, she almost failed to see her head lights flash across a figure plodding wearily along the road.

xXxXx

It felt like it had been hours since he had started walking. Rosette weighed heavily on him, and he hunched his back as he moved, hoping the curve of his body would help keep her from slipping farther down his back. He kept his head down, focusing on the edge of the road as it passed beneath his feet. Chrno had grown so very tired, he was taking things one step at a time now. Vaguely, he became aware of a sound approaching them. As he looked up, a blinding light flashed past him.

It was a car.

He turned to watch it swerve off-road, a familiar red-headed figure leaping from the driver's side. "Chrno! I've been look - oh! What happened?"

"Anna?" relief swept over him as the nun raced to his side, her hands immediately reaching for Rosette. She frowned in worry, glancing into the demon's face.

"Things didn't work out?"

"No."

"Here, we'd better get her back...are you alright?" Anna pulled him toward the car, her sharp eyes picking up his careful movements.

"I'm fine, just...being careful." he waved her off and she moved around him to open the car's back door. Wordlessly, they worked to move Rosette into the seat. It was difficult to do gently, but after several minutes they had managed to have her stretched comfortably across the backseat. There wasn't any room for him beside her, so Chrno unhappily joined Anna in the front. He propped his head against the window, staring past the scenery as it began to rush past them. After a few minutes, Anna turned to him.

"When we get back, you should let Elder take care of you."

"I'm fine. Besides, I want to be sure she's alright." the nun scoffed impatiently, watching him turn in his seat to gaze at Rosette.

"It may be dark, but I'm not blind. You're hurt too, there's blood all over your coat..."

"I was carrying her..."

"The_front_ of your coat." Chrno bristled a little in annoyance. He was tired, and she was right. Without his partner to concentrate on, his pain began to come back to him, though not to the point that he couldn't handle it. What really worried him was Rosette...she couldn't stand up to things like this the way he could. Still, Anna was only trying to be sure that he took care of himself and didn't neglect himself for her sake. The demon fell silent, aware that his bad mood would have turned any further reply somewhat sour. Quiet settled inside the car.

Exhaustion began to take hold of him and he realized for the first time just how tired he was. The entire night had been one thing after another._'Tomorrow doesn't look good, either.'_ he thought dismally, remembering the splinter of wood in his side._'I'll have to ask Elder for a new field box...I hope that piece comes out alright.'_ Sleep pulled at him, and he didn't fight it. Throwing one last glance at his contractor, he slumped back into his seat, dropping off almost immediately.

xXxXx

Chrno woke slowly, aware of a heavy weight pressing down on him. He was laid out on his side, beneath a glaring light. _'They must have moved me while I was sleeping...'_ he realized. There were voices around him, that he couldn't quite make out. Blearily he recognized the infirmary in which he lay.

'_Why is everything so fuzzy? I can't...can't...'_ focusing his thoughts was difficult. Perhaps they had drugged him. Carefully, he turned his head slightly, his unfocused eyes settling on the woman holding him down. _'Kate? Oh...'_ a sharp pain cut through the haziness, and he felt firm movement at his side, where the splinter of wood had pierced him.

He struggled against Kate, fighting the darkness that overtook him.

xXxXx

It was in the infirmary that Rosette awoke, sore and confused. She was propped up on soft pillows, a blanket pulled up to her neck. The infirmary was dark, despite the sunny day shining through the window curtains. Rosette's eyes wandered over her immediate surroundings. Next to her bed, a chair had been pulled close, and a small, white head was bowed next to her.

"Azmaria?" instantly the little girl was on her feet, Rosette's hands clasped in her own.

"Rosette! You're finally awake! When they came and told me you were hurt, oh, I was so worried!"

"How long have I been in here?"

"Since early this morning. Rosette, what happened? Did something go wrong?" the nun thought for a moment, running through the night's events in her head.

"I'm not sure...the demon we went after chased us all over the place...I couldn't get a shot at it. Then we were outside and...and that's it." she said, offering a shrug. Azmaria cocked her head at her friend.

"Really? Anna said she found you guys along the road. Chrno was carrying you back-"

"Oh!" Rosette interrupted, moving to sit up. "Chrno!"

"No, don't get up!" the young girl gently pushed her back down. "He's fine! At least, he will be. He's sleeping, just over there." she indicated a space several beds away. Rosette followed her gaze, her eyes settling over the figure nearby.

Chrno lay propped on a pillow, his amethyst hair pooled beneath his head, having escaped from its careful plait. One bare, scratched up arm lay outside the blanket, draped across his chest. Relief flooded through her as Rosette saw him fidget a little in his sleep.

"Was he bad?" she asked, reluctantly turning back to Azmaria. She shrugged.

"I don't know. You were both in here before I even knew you were back. Elder said he'd be up and about again soon, I think."

He was right, Rosette knew. Even when he didn't try to, Chrno healed much more quickly than any human would. The demon claimed it was because of his legion, but she had always suspected he did it just to annoy her. Regeneration was one of those few things she envied him for sometimes. Huffing a little, she cast another glance at him.

"So, how long do they expect me to sit here, Az?"

"A week. Although you're doing very well considering what you looked like coming in..."

"Huh?"

"You were hurt really badly, there was a big bump on your head and you had a cut on your stomach. It isn't so bad anymore, though. At least, that what Sister Kate told me. "

Rosette stared at her, an odd glint in her eye. "Is that so?" Azmaria scooted away from her a little. Icily, the nun cast a glance toward her partner's bed before she turned to smile at the little girl. "Az?" she asked sweetly, " I haven't eaten since last night. Would you please bring me something?"

Azmaria nodded, leaving the room hurriedly. Once her footsteps had faded down the hall, Rosette sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

"Chrno!" she hissed, ignoring the pain moving brought to her head. The demon ignored her, still asleep. She tried again, louder this time. Still, no response came.

An annoyed growl escaped her as she cast about for some sort of small object. _'That idiot. What on earth was he thinking? He better not have panicked and done something stupid...'_ There wasn't anything within her reach. Losing her patience, she seized her pillow and hurled it at him.

"Chrno!" she hissed again when it had bounced uselessly off his head. He remained still, which sent the nun into a fit. A hail of bed dressings sailed past him, leaving Rosette with nothing but a bare mattress. _'This is just wonderful...'_ gingerly, she eased her feet to the floor, the cold tile causing her to draw back before she shifted her weight onto her legs. Moving carefully, she set out at an agonizingly slow pace, navigating through the other beds. An empty chair had been set at Chrno's bedside. Azmaria must have been going back and forth between the two of them. Rosette slumped into it, clutching her middle.

A tiny snore drifted from the demon's mouth. She leaned over him, allowing herself a good look. In making her way across the room, her anger had slowly left her, replacing itself with worry. He had been carrying her...but that didn't mean that he'd been in better shape than she had.

It would be just like him to do something stupid like that and put her before himself. Gently, she reached out to his uncovered arm, placing her hand over his. The demon sighed in his sleep, a faint smiling pulling at his lips.

"I owe you, I guess." she whispered, as she softly rubbed her thumb against his skin. He looked so tired that she suddenly felt somewhat guilty for having felt angry with him. He was looking after her, after all. "I don't know exactly what happened...but I hope you don't feel as bad as I do." her eyes fell closed, and she moved to brush his bangs from his face. Happily, she wound her fingers into the violet strands, rubbing soothingly at his scalp. "Chrno, I really worry about you sometimes."

"I'm sorry." Rosette started, realizing he had spoken to her. A flush flared on her cheeks and she pulled away from him.

"Chrno! You, um...what? I mean..."

"Rosette." the soft voice of the demon cut off any explanation she could have hoped to throw at him. He watched her for several seconds, his scarlet eyes roving anxiously over her. Moments of silence passed before he looked her in the eyes. "Are you alright?" the exorcist smiled in spite of the solemn question.

"Perfect." she leaned back in the chair, moving just a little too quickly. Seeing her wince, her companion stiffened. "Okay, I guess I'm a little sore..."

Slowly, carefully, Chrno pushed himself into a sitting position. The blanket fell away from his bare shoulders, revealing a bandage over his side. He sat hunched slightly. Turning to look at her, his fair face contorted into a familiar look of guilt. For a moment his gaze rested on her blue eyes, before it dropped away from her. "I'm sorry." he said again. Rosette cocked her head at him.

"What is there to be sorry about?"

"I...I didn't know what else to do." he said in a small voice. It wasn't one Rosette heard often. That small, frightened voice could only mean one thing: he would start beating himself up over it before long. He'd done something he'd never even consider under normal circumstances. Things like that were hard for him to deal with.

Rosette sighed, staring at the violet head bowed before her. Gently she reached out to him, her hands falling to rest comfortingly on his shoulders. He tensed at the touch, as if expecting a blow. .

"You opened the seal yourself." slowly he nodded. "Why?"

"...I was...I was afraid." if it were possible for his voice to become any smaller, it did. The exorcist frowned and squeezed his shoulder gently. He relaxed a little beneath her touch. "I didn't have any choice but to carry you, but...I couldn't tell how badly you were hurt. If I'd tried to move you, and you...I just couldn't tell. I didn't know what else to do."

"It's okay."

"Huh?" Chrno looked up at her, his scarlet eyes made bright by the tears clouding his vision.

"I said it's okay."

"You mean...you're not angry with me?" he asked hesitantly. Rosette shook her head, a smile working it's way onto her lips.

"How could I be angry at you for taking care of me? Now, move over." ignoring his confused look, Rosette gingerly climbed into the bed, settling herself at his back and reaching to take his hair into her hands. "Sorry, but you look like a wreck."

"Don't be. This is a perfectly legitimate reason to be in my bed." Chrno felt himself blush and he chuckled. She did this to him all the time, it was no reason to be embarrassed. He usually had more clothes on, though. Rosette laughed as the back of his neck went red too.

"What's the matter, Chrno? Am I making you nervous?"

"You make _everybody_ nervous." she jerked her hand, smirking as his head snapped back.

xXxXx

Azmaria giggled, even though she felt like she was intruding just a little. She had paused outside the door upon hearing the voices of her friends. A quick peek inside found that Rosette had moved to Chrno's bed. The girl was perched on his pillows, roughly pulling her fingers through his hair in an attempt to comb it. Chrno mumbled something, causing his contractor to give the violet strands a jerk. _They're cute..._ Azmaria thought to herself, pushing the little trolley of food to the side of the door. She could bring them something to eat later. At the moment they seemed to be enjoying themselves.


	4. Dictionary

A/N Wow, we're only at chapter four? It seems like a long time since I started on this. Anyway, here's a little bit of downtime for our favorite duo. I hope this turns out as cute as I thought it was, I was up in the middle of the night with a fever when I wrote it. I've reread it, though, and I like it. Chrno is...well, I think just about anything he does can be made cute. That includes reading a dictionary.

So, here it is! I hope everyone likes this chapter. Have a merry Christmas everybody! You guys are awesome!!

--------------------------------------------

"I think I may be going crazy."

"Rosette, we've only been in here two days."

"I know, but I can't stand it!" Rosette had moved beds, taking one that was next to Chrno. She told him it was so she didn't have to keep getting up to see him. The exorcist lay spread-eagle on the bed, a dismal look on her face. They had several days to go yet, and she was never one to sit still for long. She groaned, eliciting a smile from her companion.

"If you're so bored, why don't you read one of those books Az brought us?" Chrno suggested, holding up his own. Rosette groaned.

"The only books she could find were Bibles, hymnals, and a dictionary. I read those every day..."

"It's better than nothing, right?"

"Quit being so cheerful." she groaned again, and the devil laughed at the pathetic sound.

"Rosette, if it's bothering you that much, why don't you just ask someone to find you something else? Buy some dime novels or go to a library or something." he huffed a little, turning pointedly back to his dictionary. "And stop fidgeting like that, you'll pull your stitches."

Rosette lightly poked at her stomach, where a nasty two-inch gash was being held together. She frowned at it. "Can't they wrap it up or something? You know, so I can move around?" Chrno shrugged at the question, looking towards the window thoughtfully.

"They probably want to get the air to it. I've heard that's good for wounds. It helps them heal or something."

"Well that's stupid." he offered no comment, so Rosette let herself fall back into her pillows with an annoyed _hmph!_ For a long time they sat in silence. The girl lay there spacing out until the quiet was broken by a soft chuckle. Her head shot up to stare at Chrno. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Well, it must be something, you sound pretty amused over there." she pointed out sourly. Chrno sat for a moment beneath her glare, his face hidden behind the tattered dictionary. Eventually he gave in.

"Explosive."

"Huh?"

"Explosive: adjective. Able or likely to explode...likely to cause an eruption of anger or controversy...sudden and dramatic." he peeked at her over the top of the book, a fond sort of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Explosive. That's you." Rosette's sour face darkened indignantly.

"What are you saying exactly?"

"Also, there's..." Chrno ignored her, flipping back and forth through the thin pages. She noticed that he'd been folding down some page corners. It was to these that he turned. "Cheeky, unusual, brilliant, beautiful, hazardous, maniacal, excessive, irreplaceable, lovely...is that enough?"

A distinctly splotchy redness had overcome Rosette's face and she stared at him with an odd look. The little demon found himself wondering whether her reaction would cause him a longer stay in the infirmary. He didn't know if she'd turned red from irritation or embarrassment. "I think that's pretty accurate." he ventured, peeking at her again over the top of his book. She was still staring at him.

"Annoying." she said suddenly, flopping backward again. Holding up a hand, she counted her adjectives so he could see. "Infuriating, dense, hopeless, idiotic." she paused, looking thoughtfully at her fingers as Chrno's face fell a little, his grin fading. He'd said some nice things about her, at least. He'd meant them, too. Now Rosette was picking at him. Silently, he closed the dictionary, setting it to the side. Somehow he felt the words had lost their amusement for him.

"Jeez..."

"I wasn't done." Rosette said when she heard him sigh. The demon gave her a sidelong glance, thinking he might not have wanted to hear the rest. She didn't bother to look at him. Instead, she began to recount her fingers. "You let yourself feel hurt to easily...sensitive I guess? Yeah, you're sensitive, kind, forgiving, loyal, patient," she brought her other hand up to count on it too. "Protective, calming, intelligent, strong, wonderful..." she stopped, counting her adjectives. "That's fifteen to your nine. Counting the bad things about you." Rosette's face had reddened even further, giving him the odd feeling that he was talking to some sort of tomato. Chrno realized with a pleasant sort of feeling that she was actually blushing.

Well aware that his own face was beginning to burn, he opened the dictionary once more, eager to continue the sort of game they had fallen into.

"Not bad, not bad." Rosette scowled impatiently at the old man bent over her, prodding gently at the stitches in her stomach. The young exorcist lay beneath her sheets, her nightgown pulled up around her ribs so that the Elder could access the injured area.

Chrno sat on the edge of his bed, just next to Rosette's, his eyes never leaving the old man. He and Rosette (not to mention the entire Order) knew the Elder well enough to know that he needed to be watched constantly. Especially when he had such easy access to a young girl in her undergarments. They didn't expect him to try anything (he claimed it wasn't as much fun when the girl's saw him coming), but Chrno couldn't really help himself.

If either of those hands made one false move...

"I think things are coming together quite nicely." the Elder finally stopped poking at her. He pulled away, leaving Rosette's midsection exposed. "At this rate, you might be out of here by the end of the week."

"That long?"

'_Typical Rosette.'_ Chrno smiled faintly to himself, letting his eyes fall to the pale skin of Rosette's stomach. He was a little disappointed when she pushed her nightgown down over it. It was only a momentary distraction, however, and his gaze quickly returned to the Elder.

"And what about Chrno?" Rosette was asking. The old man smiled to himself and turned to the demon.

"Take care of yourself as well as you usually do, and you'll be up and about just as quickly. If not sooner." Chrno spared him a smile.

"Thank you, Elder. I'm glad to hear it." he said. The Elder returned the gesture and turned to leave.

"Any other questions?" they shook their heads. "Very well. Chrno, I've amassed quite a bit of laundry. It'll be waiting for you when you're up to it."

"Yes, Elder." They watched him leave before Chrno gave a small groan. "Lecherous old...did you _see_ that look he was giving you?" Rosette snorted something that sounded suspiciously like the word _protective._ The demon cocked his head at her, his brow furrowed. "What? Was I really?"

"Chrno, if you had scooted any closer to me, you'd be in the floor." he looked down at himself, realizing that he had indeed perched on the very edge of his mattress. Rosette grinned teasingly at him. "And you were giving him such _awful_ looks, too..."

"Everybody gives him dirty looks. He's a pervert."

"Uh-huh." Chrno pouted a little as she smirked at him. Somehow he was always the one who ended up getting teased. He supposed it was because she was better at it than he was.

"Well, it's just...really...oh, you know! I was just...GAH!" he scowled at Rosette as she leered at him across the bed, forcing him to roll over to hide his flushing face.


	5. Failed Escape

(dodges thrown objects)

I know I know...I've been gone a long time. I sort of lost my inspiration. I really hate leaving this unfinished, though, so here I am! I don't blame you guys if you don't come back. If you have, though, you're awesome and you definitely have my love!

Sorry I don't have a better chapter for you guys after such an absence. Heh...

--------------------

"What are you doing!?" Chrno couldn't help the irritation in his voice. Things had finally begun to quiet down and they only had one more day until they would be allowed to leave. Things had seemed safe enough that he'd allowed himself to take a nap. It was a mistake. He sat now, staring as Rosette froze with one leg hanging out one of the windows. For a moment the exorcist merely stared at him until, slowly, a grin spread across her face.

"Chrno…I'm escaping."

"No way." Growling a little in annoyance, Chrno climbed from his bed and crossed the room, seizing her arm. "We're almost out of here, Rosette, and I'm not going to let you mess that up.!" She fought him, leaning her body outward so that he was the only thing to keep her from tumbling the few feet to the grass outside. Somewhere out of sight, he could hear Azmaria panicking.

"Come on, Chrno," Rosette begged, her voice rolling with something close to a purr in it. "Just for a little while, I promise. I just want to walk around."

"It's never just walking around! You're always getting into something!" It was true, but Rosette didn't much like hearing it. With a small scowl, she pulled hard against him and threw all her weight through the window. The poor demon yelped as he tumbled after her.

"Oh! Oh no! Are you guys okay? Did you get hurt or anything!?" Azmaria panicked (yes, even more) as the pair fell into a heap on the grass, Rosette laughing as Chrno flailed randomly in the hopes of somehow moving from where he was sprawled on top of her.

"Rosette…" Chrno whined. "You can't do stuff like this!"

"Oh, lighten up!"

"Seriously. What if you'd reopened one of your wounds?"

"I didn't, so there's nothing to worry about! Besides, they're nearly healed anyway. Now get off."

"I don't think I will."

"Chrno!"

"Nope."

"Um…should I get someone?"

"No, Az! They'll make us go back inside!"

"You mean the place where we're _supposed_ to be?" Chrno was beginning to feel a bit sour towards the kicking girl beneath him. Despite this, he was still sort of enjoying himself. After a few more moments of making her fight, he let her up. The girl cheered happily when she was free of him.

"Look, it's so beautiful today! Can you believe all the good weather we've been missing?"

"Um…Rosette?" Azmaria pulled at her sleeve, casting a sympathetic look towards Chrno as he crawled to his feet. "Don't you think you'll get in trouble if someone catches you out here?"

"That, Azmaria," the blonde girl winked down at her and playfully pulled her into a hug. "Is precisely why we won't be getting caught."

"In case you've forgotten," Chrno said behind them. "You're in a monastery full of professional exorcists. It's not exactly the easiest place to sneak around in." The little demon sighed as she ignored him and he stood looking at the window they'd come through, wondering if he could force Rosette back through it.

"Come on, come on! You guys, let's go have some fun!" Practically leaping for joy, Rosette darted away from them, stealthily moving along the wall of the building. Chrno and Azmaria cast a weary look at one another before trudging after her.

- - - - - - - - - -

It wasn't a good situation. The trio had swiftly become aware of the increased activity across the grounds of the convent and were discovering that it was hard to stay hidden when you're the only people in sight wearing hospital gowns. Rosette swore for what felt like the nineteenth time as they crouched behind some shrubbery in the main courtyard. Moments earlier, Mary had spotted them and now stood just a few feet away, scratching at her blonde head and looking a little confused as to why her friends had suddenly disappeared.

"I told you this wasn't a good idea!" Chrno hissed and pulled his hands away from Azmaria's ears. He knew the little girl was well aware of Rosette's colorful vocabulary, but just because she knew it didn't mean that she needed to hear it repeatedly. "Rosette, we're going to be in a lot of trouble when they find us here!"

"No one will find us."

"Really? None of _them?_" He jabbed a finger at the open courtyard where several of the nuns of the Order had decided to hold their classes.

"Right."

"You're crazy!" he groaned, casting a soft glare at Azmaria as she giggled. The girl gave a small cough into her fist, looking embarrassed. After a moment he sighed, fidgeting to get his legs under himself so that he could get up. The bush they were sitting in was very prickly and he was tired of hiding. "That's it! Go ahead and get yourself in trouble! I'm going back to the infirmary..."

"You're no fun, Chrno."

"Rosette, it's things like this..." he trailed off, freezing half-way up and staring out toward the courtyard. Rosette and Azmaria stared at him, wondering why he suddenly looked like a deer caught in someone's headlights.

"Afternoon, Rosette. Azmaria." The nun cringed at the voice behind her. Turning slowly to peek out from the bush, she wilted under the severe glare of Sister Kate. Father Remington was standing next to her, an amused smile on his face as he gave them a small wave.

"S-Sister Kate!" Red-faced, the girls climbed to their feet. Rosette was slightly aware that Chrno had sidled behind her, doing his best to hide himself from the nun's sight. Kate noticed and cleared her throat, causing him to slink back into view.

"What's going on here?"

"Um...well, you see...uh..." She had addressed Chrno, as if she suspected that he had somehow been the cause of whatever they were doing. The little demon couldn't help stammering a little. Heck, who _wouldn't_ be struck dumb by an angry Kate?

Apparently Rosette.

"We just wanted to get some fresh air, is all." The girl fanned herself and shrugged, acting as if they weren't running around outside in bare feet and hospital gowns. "That infirmary is awfully stuffy. You really ought to put more windows in."

"There are plenty of windows." Kate's attention shifted to Rosette as the familiar vein began to show on her forehead. "Now what are you doing out here? No one hides in bushes to get fresh air. You've still got another two days-"

"_One_ day." Rosette corrected. She definitely didn't want any more time tacked onto their sentence.

"_One day_ before you're allowed to be up and running around causing problems."

"Um, Kate?" Remington interrupted before the nun could get herself going enough to blow up at Rosette. He laid a calming hand on her shoulder and smiled. "I'm sure that whatever they were doing, they had a good reason. Aren't you?" She frowned and didn't say anything. Suppressing a chuckle, Remington looked back to the trio standing in the shrubbery. "You do, don't you?"

"Of course we do, Father." Rosette put on her best, charming grin, a move she knew was wasted on the priest. He was usually on their side anyway. "We've been cooped up in there so long, we really needed to get outside and move around."

"_You_ needed to." Chrno muttered.

"I hope we're not in too much trouble?" Rosette asked. Remington grinned, his eyes falling to Azmaria.

"I suppose you needed some fresh air, too?"

"No no...I just bumped into them...that's all." Azmaria said in a tiny voice. She backed up so she was between Chrno and Rosette. Wedging herself against their sides, she gave a small, convincing smile.

"I thought so. I'll take them back to the infirmary for you, Kate." Remington offered, already moving to pull them out of the bush. The nun was still looking a little red in the face, but she nodded and continued down the path, shaking her head and muttering to herself.

"Geez, she's in a bad mood today, isn't she?"

"Rosette, she's always in a bad mood when you're involved." Chrno sighed, helping Azmaria brush some mulch out of her hair. They stood a moment in silence before remembering Father Remington. The priest was standing on the path, waiting patiently.

"You'd better go back to your chores," he said gently, turning Azmaria away from them. The little girl nodded obediently and pattered away. In silence the three of them left began to walk toward the main building, which housed the infirmary and the sanctuary, among other things. Rosette couldn't help looking longingly at the classes gathered on the grassy lawn. Even sitting through a lesson would be better than sitting in bed. She sighed and Chrno elbowed her with a look, clearly telling her not to get any ideas. They were unaware of the smile Remington watched them with.

"I hear you two got pretty banged up last week," the priest said as they came to the great oaken doors of the building. He held one open for the two to pass.

"Yeah, mission didn't quite go as planned."

"Nothing to worry about, we handled it."

"Rosette, we even managed to kill the thing!"

"You didn't." They stopped, looking up at the priest.

"What do you mean we didn't?" Rosette asked, irritably. "I put so many rounds into that things I'd be surprised there was anything left of it.

"Well, there wasn't much left, but there was enough that it survived." They fell silent again at this grim piece of news. Neither the exorcist or the demon were happy to hear this. They had gotten hurt for nothing.

"I can't believe this! Why didn't anybody tell us?"

"Rosette, we know how you are." Remington sighed. The infirmary door was just ahead and he stopped before he came to it. "Whether you were injured or not you would have wanted to go after it as soon as you knew."

"You're darn right I would!"

"But you can't. At least not until you're given permission to leave the infirmary again." She scowled, having already forgotten that they only had one more day. "Come to me again when you're able to handle it and I'll make the arrangements."

"Wait, you want us to handle it again?" Chrno asked, a little surprised. "But we didn't do well at all last time!"

"One mistake doesn't mean you're worthless. Now go to bed, both of you." the priest commanded, pointing to the door. Chrno nodded, pulling a still angry Rosette with him as he went. Remington watched them disappear from sight behind the closed door.

For a long while he stood in the shadowy hall, staring after the pair he had grown so fond of. "It'll end better this time," he told himself as he eventually turned away. Rosette was strong, and Chrno wouldn't let anything happen to her unless he absolutely couldn't prevent it. They were both very experienced in exorcisms and perfectly capable. They were going to be fine.

He sincerely hoped that they would be fine.


	6. Release! Finally!

A/N I'm not going to bother you guys with an excuse. I've been gone from this story much longer than I should have. I'm out for the summer, though, so hopefully I'll have time for both this AND my Fullmetal projects (I've got about five of those going right now). I hope that you guys will forgive me for my absence. At least, long enough to read this chapter. After you've read it you can go back to being annoyed with me, okay?

I think this story will be ending soon. Just a few more chapters...

--

The hours were passing slowly for Chrno as he lay curled around his pillow, watching Rosette toss and fidget in her bed. She'd long ago kicked her blankets away, pushing them into a heap at her feet. One leg was stretched straight while the other was pulled to her chest as she slept in an odd, half curled position. The hem of her nightgown had risen and a faint light issued through the curtained window to reveal the pale skin of her shin. Chrno felt a little weird staring at her leg, but in the dark infirmary there really wasn't anything else to look at. She stayed still for several minutes before muttering and turning away from him, curling into her odd position again.

The demon sighed, his eyes straying toward the lighter patch of darkness that he knew was the window. He had made sure that it was locked before they'd settled into bed. He hadn't wanted her trying to sneak out again in the middle of the night. Of course, he hadn't thought that he'd be awake all night to watch her. It really was annoying...why couldn't he sleep? Was it because he'd been lying around for so long and his energy had built up too much for him to relax? That couldn't be it, he'd been napping earlier in the day. It was possible that he just wasn't tired, although he didn't usually have this sort of problem. Or maybe...he was worried.

No doubt as soon as Rosette was allowed through the door she'd be heading to find Father Remington. She wouldn't want to waste a single moment that could be spent hunting down that worm demon. It didn't matter if she was fit enough for it, she couldn't stand not working toward something.

_It must be past two...not much longer, now._ Chrno frowned to himself in the darkness, letting his crimson eyes close slightly. _I wonder if I can get her to wait long enough to at least sit down and eat something first instead of just stuffing our faces on the way...it would be good for her to take it easy at first._ No, they had been "taking it easy" for a week now, that definitely wasn't something she would want to do. Rosette fidgeted again in the next bed and Chrno sat up, looking over at her and feeling a little exasperated. She was so rash...he grew a little tired of it sometimes.

He was always asking her to slow down...maybe it would work better if he just refused to leave until she was really ready. He shook his head at the thought. His refusal would result in nothing but a battle of wills and neither of them were lightweights in that area. He would just have to be careful and keep an extra close eye on her.

She mumbled again, and something that almost sounded like his name escaped her. A funny, happy little sound followed it and Chrno found himself smiling and climbing from his bed to stand over her. _I feel like I'm always taking care of her. I wonder, though...how much she takes care of me?_ Rosette's face was turned away from him, and her golden hair sprayed across the pillow. Her bangs had drifted into her face and he reached out to lightly push them away. _More than she should._

That happy sound came again, a sort of hum in her throat as her lips curled the tiniest bit upwards. Chrno smiled again, glad to see the girl looking happy, even if she were only dreaming and the happiness would be gone when she woke.

—

"Chrno! CHRNO! For the last time, if you don't get up now then I'm going without you!" The little demon groaned as someone kicked the side of his mattress, jostling him into the waking world. He rubbed his face into his pillow before turning to shoot Rosette a very unpleasant look.

"What time is it?" he asked. It came out in a mumble, but she caught it anyway.

"Eleven thirty." When he had turned over, her foot had fallen still. Now as he lay there staring blankly up at her, the toe of her boot began tapping impatiently against the floor. She managed to stay quiet for an entire twelve seconds. "Well come on! I've got the okay for us to leave, let's go see Father Remington!"

It seemed it was useless to hope for a morning that would be nice and quiet. Chrno sighed and sat up, trying to unwind the thin blanket from being wrapped around his body. When he was freed, Rosette directed him to the foot of his bed, where his usual clothing, freshly laundered, was folded and waiting for him.

"Hurry up and change." Rosette was saying, her foot still going a mile a minute. A small smile lit his face as he imagined how much energy was probably pumping through her at the moment. A week of laying around for Rosette was like keeping a dog quiet for an hour. As soon as there was an opportunity to bark, there was going to be a bark (and then some). He nodded and she left to wait in the hall, allowing him some privacy.

Chrno felt almost eager as he pulled on the familiar scarlet coat. It had been well mended (or maybe remade altogether, he wasn't quite sure) and he couldn't help relaxing a little as he shrugged his shoulders, wriggling the fabric into place. He hadn't realized how much he had missed dressing this way. He threw a dark look toward his cast-off pajamas, which he had tossed onto his pillow. They were so drab and uncomfortable looking...had he really spent a week in those things?

Rosette was waiting for him in the hall. _I'm surprised she didn't run off without me,_ he thought with some amusement. She certainly looked impatiently, but a grin broke onto her face as she turned to see him walking out of the infirmary. "Have you eaten yet?" he asked her, even though he had a good idea what her answer would be.

"Nah, I thought we could just grab something on the way out." She gave a shrug and set off down the hall, confident that he would follow. Chrno grimaced. _I thought so. That's just like her..._

"Rosette, I think we should at least stop by the kitchens. We've waited this long, fifteen more minutes aren't going to hurt anything."

"What are you, crazy? That's fifteen minutes that stupid monster is running around out there! There's no telling what kind of damage it's caused over the past week! We can't afford to waste any more time!"

"But Rosette–!"

"No." That ended the discussion, as Rosette pointedly ignored any other attempt Chrno made to talk about breakfast. Eventually he gave in, following silently as she rushed her way through numerous hallways and corridors.

After a while they came to a small office at the far end of the main building. Stopping to straighten herself a little (Chrno noticed the action with some annoyance) Rosette raised a hand to rap her knuckles smartly against the closed door. A yelp, followed by a loud thump sounded from the other side before footsteps hurriedly approached the door and it was pulled open by a slightly tussled looking Remington.

"Oh! Father!"

"Good morning!" The priest grinned cheerfully at them, stepping back to wave them in. His office wasn't quite what one would expect from a high ranking exorcist. There was clutter absolutely everywhere. Papers littered the room, shoved and wadded into nooks and crannies in the corners. Chrno and Rosette both suspected that many of them were probably important. Somehow this didn't surprise them. The stepped past Remington, moving to stand before what they assumed was his desk. He followed them and settled into a chair on the other side of it. "You'll excuse the mess, I hope. I've been doing some rather heavy cleaning..."

Rosette gave a cough that could have been a laugh and Remington smiled again. "I assume you're here for your assignment?"

"Sure are!" Rosette immediately snapped to attention, all business now that the subject had been brought up. A grimace worked its way onto Chrno's face and he sighed again. How on earth did he get caught up with a whirlwind like Rosette?

"Good. Nothing has really changed since the last time you tracked this thing down, although it may be bigger by now. Also, its range of movement has increased. As far as our scouts can tell, it has increased its territory to extend for about a mile all around the house it was summoned in. You know where that is so I'm sure that you won't have much trouble locating the demon."

"Um, Father?" Chrno interrupted. He rather liked Remington, but he still hesitated sometimes in speaking to Rosette's superiors. He paused for a moment while the priest focused his attention on him. "We'll need supplies. Rosette went through everything last week..."

"Hey! I _had_ to! That thing was trying to eat us!"

"I'm just saying–"

"Don't worry about it." Remington interrupted them before they could start picking at one another. "Chrno, it's good that you're mindful of these things. It's not a good idea to just go rushing in." He cast a glance towards the girl and she shrank a little. "It's been taken care of. I'm afraid that we haven't repaired your ammunition box yet, but Elder has gathered sufficient ammunition for this mission. He's also got a few extras for you, Chrno, should you need to support Rosette without resorting to...desperate measures." This time it was the demon who shrank back a bit. Apparently someone had figured out what he'd done when he'd found Rosette unconscious. They didn't want him to do it again.

"Yes sir."

Silence fell over the three as Remington glance around his desk thoughtfully, as if trying to remember something. They allowed several moments to pass before he sighed. "That's everything. I expect you'll be leaving soon. Please, be a little more careful this time, alright? I don't know if the nurses could handle another week with you." He smiled as he said it and Chrno and Rosette couldn't help smiling back.

"Thank you Father!" Rosette bowed excitedly and grabbed Chrno by the arm, yanking him in the direction of the door. He let himself be dragged. If he had resisted she would have only pulled harder and it just wasn't worth it. As they passed back into the hall, he saw Remington poke his head out of the doorway, his hand cupped around his mouth as he shouted after the charging nun.

"And this time, take Azmaria with you!"

--

A/N I don't know why, but for some reason I imagine Father Remington would be a bit messy in his own private areas. Maybe it's because he's kind of laid back? I don't know. Anyway, please point out any mistakes I may have missed in my editing. Also, if something is confusing or worded funny (or if you just have a suggestion) then please tell me about that too!

Also, I want to ask you (the readers) for your opinions. I don't think this story has been very heavy on the romance so far. Would you guys like me to try and work a little more in before it's over or continue the way things have been going?


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